wanted. She could take care of herself. She would either cope with whatever Colin had planned for today, or she would walk away and call for a cab back to the office. “It’s okay, Molly. I’m fine.”
She saw Colin flash her assistant a smile that hadbrought more than one woman to her knees, but he hadn’t come up against Molly’s maternal leanings. And apparently he realized the same thing.
“I promise you she’s in no danger, nor will she be,” he said to Molly. “Have a great day.”
“Wait. My purse—it’s back in my office.”
“That’s okay. You’re not going to need it.”
Now she was curious and, heaven help her, more than a little intrigued. After this was all over, she should probably seriously consider some sort of mental-health care.
“Are you comfortable, Ms. Baron?”
The low, soothing voice of Helen, her assigned masseuse, irritated her. “As comfortable as I can be, half-naked, lying facedown on a massage table with a stranger’s hands on me.”
“I gather you’ve never had a massage before.”
“That’s correct.” She’d never had time, nor did she now. What was more, she couldn’t believe she had allowed Colin to drag her to this day-of-beauty salon.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“No.” In truth, the experience so far wasn’t altogether unpleasant. The room was dimly lit. Soft, lilting music played somewhere. But she didn’t have time for this indulgence. Plus, she couldn’t figure out what having a massage had to do with getting Des.
“You’re very, very tense. I can feel it in your muscles. So just try to relax and let me do my job.”
She lifted her head off the table and looked hopefully back over her shoulder. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cell phone in here, would you?”
“No, Ms. Baron.” Helen gently pushed her backdown. “Conducting business at the same time I’m giving you a massage would be counterproductive. Besides, even the busiest of people find that an occasional day here at Jacqui’s is beneficial. But you have to give yourself a chance. So, please, just try to relax and let me see if I can get these knots out of your shoulders.”
She yawned as Helen rubbed more warm oil into her back. Despite her protestations to the contrary last night, Colin probably felt he couldn’t count on her to fulfill her side of their business agreement unless he fulfilled his. Fortunately, that was an easy fix. As soon as she returned to the office, she would put her lawyers to work on drawing up the agreement. Then Colin would have to believe her.
Where was he, anyway? The last time she’d seen him, he had been in the main salon, waving her goodbye, as the very beautiful Jacqui, the spa owner, had escorted her into the massage room with a graciousness that was an art unto itself. She sighed. If she only had her cell phone, she could…
“Ms. Baron? Ms. Baron?”
“Yes?” She forced open her eyes. “What is it?”
“The massage is over.”
“It is?” Disappointment tinged her voice.
As the massage had continued, she remembered going into a kind of twilight rest, where she felt as if she were drifting on a cloud. Every once in a while she would become aware of Helen’s heavenly touch as the woman worked her fingers up and down her body, murmuring occasionally about knots. And she’d been conscious enough to turn over when Helen hadasked her. But after that, she’d sunk back into her cloud. And now she couldn’t feel a bone in her body.
“Sit up slowly,” Helen cautioned. “You may feel somewhat dizzy at first, but it will pass in a moment.”
She sat up just fine, but immediately wanted to lie down again for another hour of massage. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this relaxed. But Helen was carefully urging her off the table, even going so far as to kneel down and guide her feet into a pair of peach terry-cloth slippers—peach and green being the spa’s colors. The slippers matched the robe she put on a
She saw Colin flash her assistant a smile that hadbrought more than one woman to her knees, but he hadn’t come up against Molly’s maternal leanings. And apparently he realized the same thing.
“I promise you she’s in no danger, nor will she be,” he said to Molly. “Have a great day.”
“Wait. My purse—it’s back in my office.”
“That’s okay. You’re not going to need it.”
Now she was curious and, heaven help her, more than a little intrigued. After this was all over, she should probably seriously consider some sort of mental-health care.
“Are you comfortable, Ms. Baron?”
The low, soothing voice of Helen, her assigned masseuse, irritated her. “As comfortable as I can be, half-naked, lying facedown on a massage table with a stranger’s hands on me.”
“I gather you’ve never had a massage before.”
“That’s correct.” She’d never had time, nor did she now. What was more, she couldn’t believe she had allowed Colin to drag her to this day-of-beauty salon.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“No.” In truth, the experience so far wasn’t altogether unpleasant. The room was dimly lit. Soft, lilting music played somewhere. But she didn’t have time for this indulgence. Plus, she couldn’t figure out what having a massage had to do with getting Des.
“You’re very, very tense. I can feel it in your muscles. So just try to relax and let me do my job.”
She lifted her head off the table and looked hopefully back over her shoulder. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cell phone in here, would you?”
“No, Ms. Baron.” Helen gently pushed her backdown. “Conducting business at the same time I’m giving you a massage would be counterproductive. Besides, even the busiest of people find that an occasional day here at Jacqui’s is beneficial. But you have to give yourself a chance. So, please, just try to relax and let me see if I can get these knots out of your shoulders.”
She yawned as Helen rubbed more warm oil into her back. Despite her protestations to the contrary last night, Colin probably felt he couldn’t count on her to fulfill her side of their business agreement unless he fulfilled his. Fortunately, that was an easy fix. As soon as she returned to the office, she would put her lawyers to work on drawing up the agreement. Then Colin would have to believe her.
Where was he, anyway? The last time she’d seen him, he had been in the main salon, waving her goodbye, as the very beautiful Jacqui, the spa owner, had escorted her into the massage room with a graciousness that was an art unto itself. She sighed. If she only had her cell phone, she could…
“Ms. Baron? Ms. Baron?”
“Yes?” She forced open her eyes. “What is it?”
“The massage is over.”
“It is?” Disappointment tinged her voice.
As the massage had continued, she remembered going into a kind of twilight rest, where she felt as if she were drifting on a cloud. Every once in a while she would become aware of Helen’s heavenly touch as the woman worked her fingers up and down her body, murmuring occasionally about knots. And she’d been conscious enough to turn over when Helen hadasked her. But after that, she’d sunk back into her cloud. And now she couldn’t feel a bone in her body.
“Sit up slowly,” Helen cautioned. “You may feel somewhat dizzy at first, but it will pass in a moment.”
She sat up just fine, but immediately wanted to lie down again for another hour of massage. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this relaxed. But Helen was carefully urging her off the table, even going so far as to kneel down and guide her feet into a pair of peach terry-cloth slippers—peach and green being the spa’s colors. The slippers matched the robe she put on a
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